World War II Honoree

Carmen J. Morelli

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Helen Caroline Morelli

Relationship

Wife

CORPORAL IN COMPANY C, 31ST INFANTRY REGIMENT. FOUGHT ON CORREGIDOR AND BATAAN IN THE PHILIPPINES. ON MARCH 31, 1942 THE 31ST INFANTRY REGIMENT WAS ALERTED TO PREPARE TO COUNTERATTACK AGAINST A JAPANESE FORCE MASSING ALONG THE BATAAN PENINSULA'S ALANGAN RIVER. UNCONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY AND IN SERIOUSLY WEAKENED CONDITION, HE VOLUNTEERED TO LEAD A TEN-MAN DETAIL TO INFILTRATE JAPANESE LINES AND RETRIEVE AMMUNITION. WHILE RETURNING, THEY ENCOUNTERED JAPANESE TROOPS PREPARING TO ATTACK A PHILIPPINE ARMY UNIT DEFENDING THE RIVER LINE. IN THE ENSUING ENGAGEMENT, TWO MEMBERS OF THE DETAIL WERE LOST, BUT THE REMAINDER FOUGHT THEIR WAY THROUGH TO FRIENDLY LINES WITH MOST OF THE AMMUNITION. IN APRIL 1942 HE, ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER SOLDIERS, WAS CAPTURED AND FORCED TO WALK BAREFOOT FOR SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS, A DISTANCE OF 101 MILES TO THE CABANATUAN PRISON CAMP. DURING THIS MARCH WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH THOUSANDS OF PRISONERS WERE TORTURED AND MURDERED. ON JUNE 12, 1944 HE, ALONG WITH 1200 OTHER MEN, WAS LOADED ABOARD A 'HELL SHIP' BOUND FOR JAPAN. THEY WERE PUT DOWN IN THE HOLDS OF THESE SHIPS WHERE THERE WAS ONLY ROOM FOR 400 AND IT WAS VERY DARK AND THE HEAT WAS UNBEARABLE. HE ARRIVED IN JAPAN ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1944 AFTER EIGHTY DAYS OF TORTURE. WHILE BEING HELD CAPTIVE IN JAPAN, FROM SEPTEMBER 1944 UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR, HE WORKED SLAVE LABOR, 12 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK. HE WAS AWARDED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION WITH 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, PURPLE HEART, BRONZE STAR, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE MEDAL AND THE WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL.